1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is a preventive or therapeutic agent for pollen allergy, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, asthma or urticaria or a health food for prevention, improvement or reduction of symptoms thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there has been a rapid increase in the number(s) of patients suffering from allergies caused by cedar pollen and by plants such as Ambrosia artermisiifolia, Dactylis glomerata, Phleum pratense, and birch or their pollen. In pollen allergies, chemical transmitters such as histamine and leukotriene and various enzymes are liberated from mast cells and basophils by pollen entering the body, and the typical symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis and allergic rhinitis (such as sniffles, stuffiness and sneezing) thereby appear, particularly in the nose and eyes.
There has been also an increase in allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, asthma, urticaria, etc., caused not only by pollen, but also by house dust, ticks, etc., carrying allergens.
As a therapeutic countermeasure therefore, preventive therapy by anti-allergic agents has been carried out. This has consisted of a symptomatic treatment by new generation antihistaminic agents having fewer side effects on the nerves etc., orally administered agents such as various antagonists to chemical transmitters and inhibitors of the liberation of chemical transmitters, steroidal agents having a rapid pharmaceutical effect, and antihistaminic nasal drops having immediate effect and strong action, as well as hyposensitising therapy: etc. However, traditional Chinese drugs or antiallergic agents having a satisfactory effect in preventive therapy have yet to be found. In addition, with regard to antihistaminic agents and steroidal preparations, which are used in symptomatic treatment, their side effects often cause problems. In terms of therapy, it has been also reported that the degree of patients' satisfaction with the current status of treatment is extremely low. On the other hand, hyposensitizing therapy, while considered adequate by some, is beginning to show its limitations.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,882,672, it is reported that when the seeds of one or more (preferably both) of the genera Cucurbita moschata and Plantago asiatica, and the flowers of Lonicera japonica are added to feed, natural infections by parasites, bacteria and viral diseases are largely prevented, the prophylactic force of living bodies is enhanced, and the flesh and ooplasm are improved. A feed in which two kinds of crude drugs composed of seeds, those of Cucurbita moschata and Plantago asiatica, and two kinds of crude drugs composed of flowers, those of Lonicera japonica and Carthamus tinctorius, were combined, was given to chickens to improve the quality of their eggs. Moreover, better health and survival rates, improvement in ooplasm and anti-leucocytozoonosis were observed. Further, in quail, the suppression of anti-Newcastle disease and enteric coccidium and a reduction in the incidence of the number of Staphylococci were also observed.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,421,746, it is stated that an interferon inducer can be extracted from the plants of the genus Cucurbitaceae, such as Japanese pumpkin and, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,597, antiviral activity and anti-tumor activity of interferon inducers extracted from Carthamus tinctorius were also reported, leading to the conclusion that the inducer is useful as an anti-tumor agent and agent for the improvement of physiological action and general enhancement of health. In addition, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,469,685, it is reported that interferon inducers may be extracted from the flowers of Lonicera japonica, seeds of Plantago asiatica, etc., and are useful for the prevention of, and therapy, for viral infections in human beings and animals. In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 116,498/1999, a macrophage activator is described in which two crude drugs—seeds of Cucurbita moschata and flowers of Carthamus tinctorius—are combined and, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 281,584/2000, a neutrophil activator wherein four kinds of crude drugs—seeds of Cucurbita moschata, flowers of Carthamus tinctorius, seeds or total plant of Plantago asiastica, and flowers of Carthamus tinctorius and Lonicera japonica—are combined, is described.